ABSTRACT
Alkanes are molecules that contain only carbon and hydrogen connected by single covalent bonds. The method for naming alkanes will be introduced as well as their chemical and physical properties. In many isomeric alkanes, the substituent is more complex than a simple linear fragment such as methyl, ethyl, etc. The nomenclature for cyclic alkanes is similar to that for acyclic alkanes. The total number of carbons dictates the alkane name but the word cyclo- is added to show that it is a ring. The rules are the same as with other alkanes. Place the substituent name, with a position number in front of the cycloalkane name. Alkanes can exist as cyclic molecules, where the carbons form a ring. In other words, the continuous chain of carbon atoms forms a ring, which is a cyclic structure. These compounds are known as cyclic alkanes, or cycloalkanes.
